Brief Description

The Nun Kun massif dominates the skyline in the upper Suru valley and the twin peaks of Nun (7135m) and Kun (7077m) are the highest in the Zanskar range in Ladakh. The two peaks are separated by a snowy plateau of about 4km in length. Pinnacle Peak (6930m) is the third highest mountain in this group. Kun is the second highest peak in the range on the Indian side of the Line of Control. These two towering peaks and their satellites, Barmal, White Needle and Pinnacle Peak form a horse shoe above the Suru river on the boarder of Kashmir and Zanskar.

Why Bikat?

Learning Experience: We do not just focus on completing the trek butalso help you develop basic trekking skills like:

Packing a rucksack

Morning Yoga & Evening stretching

How to pitch and dismantle a camping tent and properly use a sleeping bag

Itinerary

Show detailed itinerary

1Day 1Arrival at Delhi. IMF Briefing.

Arrive Delhi and check-in at the hotel. In the post lunch session we will have to attend a mandatory briefing at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). Here we would be introduced to the Liason Officer (LO) for our climb. Overnight Hotel in DelhiSee more images and videos

2Day 2Delhi - Leh

Take an early morning flight to Leh. Although the flight is short, it offers amazing birds eye views of the Himalayan range from Himachal Pradesh to Jammu and Kashmir. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day shall be spent resting and exploring the local markets.See more images and videos

We will hike to Stok Kangri Base Camp before starting our Nun climb to help us acclimatise thoroughly to the high mountains of Ladakh. This is the day when we would enjoy a great drive and have an enjoyable trekking experience. If you haven’t trekked in Laddakh before this day will come as a surprise. The beautiful landscapes of region will give you an out of the world feeling. The rocky mountain peaks all around look so perfect as if they have been painted on a canvas. The day will be difficult mostly because it is your first day of walking in this region. Over the next few days as your body will get acclimatized you will feel much better while hiking. At the start of the drive from Leh, we would go through many exotic and beautiful scenes. The drive to the Stok village is an adventurous one and is full of natural beauty with sight of lush green trees. The weather is generally fine in the summer season. The Stok village lies to the south of Leh and it is well known for a royal palace. Inside the palace there is a small museum which has beautiful and religious artefacts. We will setup camp as soon as we reach Chang Ma. We will settle in camps after a small acclimatization walk.See more images and videos

5Day 5Chang Ma to Mankarmo (14,200 ft)

Today is a fairly easy trek along a river. We will cross water streams a couple of times. Real beauty of Laddakh will start showing today. Mankarmo has a big Parachute café. We will pitch camps & settle in after a short acclimatization walk. Camping in Mankarmo is a lovely experience.See more images and videos

6Day 6Mankarmo to Stok BC (16,300 ft)

After a few hours trek from Mankorma we reach the base camp. It’s a grassy patch of land with number of water bodies in the form of lakes & streams. Utilize the day to walk upto the upper area to enjoy the surrounding views. In sight are some beautiful peaks like Gulap Kangri, Parcha Kangri and many others. You would get sufficient time to get acclimatized to this altitude. This is very important as in the coming days, you would find a drastic increase in the altitude and experience thin air and lack of oxygen. Keep yourself warm with proper clothing as temperature can be very low here.See more images and videos

7Day 7Stok BC to Leh via Stok Village

Today, we will retrace our steps back to Stok village. From here, we will board a vehicle to Leh. Check into your hotels and finish any last minute shopping. Tomorrow, we will leave for Kargil.See more images and videos

8Day 8Leh to Kargil (8,775 ft)

Today, we drive down the Indus Valley to Kargil. The road journey goes through some of Ladakh's popular sightseeing points - the confluence of Zanskar and Indus rivers, Alchi monastery and Lamayuru monastery. Stay overnight in Kargil.See more images and videos

The route starts from the village of Shafat at what I would estimate to be around 12,000feet. The village is only inhabited in the summer, and consists of just a few houses and a police station. The hike to base camp is first through open meadows and then rough glacier moraine.See more images and videos

Ferry loads to Camp 2 today.The route between Camp 1 and Camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45° - 50° on mixed rock and ice. This is the most technical part of the climb, utilising almost 1000 m of fixed rope to reach Camp 2. Return to Camp 1 for the night.See more images and videos

Some members of the team open the route to summit camp today. From Camp 2 to Camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. The plateau is around 4 km long, and the team must be roped up to avoid hidden crevasses under the snowfield. Return to Camp 2 for the night.See more images and videos

From Camp 3 at 6300m, the route ascends steeply for 200 m on slopes put 50° onto a saddle between Kun and Pinncale peak on the East ridge at 6500 m. From here the ridge is followed on 45° hard snow and ice to a false summit. After negotiating a few cornice features, easy slopes lead to the true summit. Return to Camp 3.See more images and videos

Big Questions

Best Season: What are the best months to visit this trek?

Packing List: What to pack

Connectivity: How to Reach the base of the trek & how to go back from the end point?

The trek begins from Leh in Ladakh. The best travel option around Leh is by air. By air: Jet Airways, GoAir, and Air India provide daily flights from New Delhi to Leh. It is recommended that you make your flight bookings well in advance not only to save on the price but also for a confirmed seat. You can also take an alternate flight route to Srinagar. Fly to Srinagar from Delhi and then drive to Leh from Srinagar. The 10 hour road journey from Srinagar to Leh can be covered by hiring a shared taxi which will cost you around INR 3000-4000. The drive route from Srinagar to Leh is scenic. For coming back, you can either take a direct flight from Leh to New Delhi. Or take the same route via Srinagar. Flights from Srinagar to Delhi are cheaper than Leh-Delhi. By road: You can take the route from Manali to Leh. Travel from Delhi to Manali by a HRTC Volvo bus. From Manali get a seat in a shared taxi (INR 2500-3500). If you are on a tight budget, There is also a bus from New Delhi to Leh (via Manali) with one side fare of INR 1365. The bus journey begins at 2:30 pm from Delhi ISBT reaching Keylong next day at 1:30 pm. After an overnight halt at Keylong, it reaches Leh the next day. The another route to Leh can be taken through Srinagar. There are shared taxis from Srinagar to Leh available at cost of INR 3000-4000. If you are an ardent biker, you wouldn’t mind taking a bike trip from Delhi to Leh and back.

Connectivity: What is the cellular network connectivity for this trek?

BSNL has the best connectivity in Leh-Ladakh region followed by Airtel. However, all the mobile networks like Idea and Vodafone also work in Leh. Please note that only postpaid numbers work in J&K state, prepaid connections will cease to work as soon as you enter Ladakh region. On & Off network coverage is available throughout this trek (BSNL mostly).

Nearby attraction: What are the nearby attractions that I can explore?

There are so many enchanting places to visit in Leh-Ladakh. During your acclimatization period, you can roam around the town and visit the monasteries; Diskit Gompa, and Lamayuru Monastery. Drive up to the Magnetic Hill and experience the crazy magnetic phenomenon on the hill. The picturesque Nubra Valley will take your breath away. The green oasis villages, the monasteries, the ruined palaces- Turtuk and Bordang; there is a whole different culture in this place. It is 150 km away from Leh. You can take a shared taxi to this route. How can you leave Ladakh without seeing Pangong Lake, the sapphire blue lake? Also, visit Gurdwara Pathar Sahib and Leh Royal Palace.

Eligibility: Is this trek good for me?

Kun Expedition is made only for trekkers with previous mountaineering experience and want to test their limits. The challenges faced in the expedition should not be underestimated. You should attempt this trek only If you have already done a trek that climbs to 5500 - 6000 metres. It is recommended not to opt this trek if you cannot get acclimatized in the high altitudes of Ladakh. Besides you need to have a strong physical endurance to complete this trek. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale

Eligibility: Experience required

A basic mountaineering course is recommended though not mandatory in case of people who have previously been on an expedition to a non trekking 6000 m peak. At least 4-5 challenging treks along with 30+ total trekking days in the Himalayas. Medical fitness certificate from CMO of a recognized hospital.

Eligibility: Fitness benchmark

Jog/Run for 5 Kms in 25-30 mins Or Walk continuously for 10 kms (with 3-4 small breaks) on plain terrain (slight incline is better) and
Hold your breath for 40 seconds and
3 sets of Climbing 30 – 40 steps in one stretch and
Push Ups – 10 and
Lunges & Squats – 15 X 2 sets
If you are not meeting these benchmarks, please use the preparation schedule to improve your fitness till you achieve the above benchmarks.

Eligibility: Requisite skills

How to use an Ice Axe How to use Climbing boots & Crampons How to rope up & follow queued climbing/descending How to self-arrest using an ice axe Knowledge of Basic First aid

About the Trek: Why should I go for this trek?

Kun is one of the most accessible 7000 m peaks in India. Sign up for this expedition if you have previously climbed a 6000 m peak and are looking to push your limits.